Keywords or reserved words in C# programming are language-specific words that have special meanings. You cannot use them for names of variables or functions.
Keywords are predefined, reserved identifiers that have special meanings to the compiler. They cannot
be used as identifiers in your program unless they include @ as a prefix. For example, @if is a valid
identifier but if is not because if is a keyword.
The first table in this topic lists keywords that are reserved identifiers in any part of a C#
program. The second table in this topic lists the contextual keywords in C#. Contextual keywords have
special meaning only in a limited program context and can be used as identifiers outside that context.
Generally, as new keywords are added to the C# language, they are added as contextual keywords in
order to avoid breaking programs written in earlier versions.
abstract | as | base | bool | break |
byte | case | volatile | while | void |
catch | char | checked | class | const |
continue | decimal | default | delegate | do |
double | else | enum | event | explicit |
extern | false | finally | fixed | float |
for | foreach | goto | if | implicit |
in | in | int | interface | internal |
is | lock | long | namespace | new |
null | object | operator | out | out |
override | params | private | protected | public |
readonly | ref | return | sbyte | sealed |
short | sizeof | stackalloc | static | string |
struct | switch | this | throw | true |
try | typeof | uint | ulong | unchecked |
unsafe | ushort | using | virtual | |
aaaaaaaa | aaaaaaaa | aaaaaaaa | aaaaaaaa | aaaaaaaa |
A contextual keyword is used to provide a specific meaning in the code, but it is not a reserved word in C#. Some contextual keywords, such as partial and where, have special meanings in two or more contexts.
add | alias | ascending | async | await |
descending | dynamic | from | get | global |
group | into | join | let | orderby |
partial | partial | remove | select | set |
value | var | where | where | yield |